This is a feedback post for motorhome makers from a prospective customer of what we like to see in our RV purchases.
1. With space at a premium in Class Bs/Cs, let's lose the dinette. Those sofas that face each other with a foldable table are much more practical and make for nice comfortable twin beds to boot.
2. Find a way to have a normal size fridge/freezer. Those under the counter jobs don't cut the mustard, especially for those of us who microwave a frozen meal to save money on the unhealthy restaurant fare.
3. Wardrobe: Make a section for longer coats for cold weather and longer dresses for the wife.
4. So far the bathrooms are adequate. No problem there.
5. Make sure it has enough power to tow a Corolla or other small car for a dinghy.
Thanks for listening guys.
They build them ALL to the lowest common denominator. When a model sells well that's the ones they keep making. If they DON'T make that particular model it's probably because not many other share your idea of the perfect RV. Remember any time you add space for ONE item (like closets) you're taking space AWAY from another (like elbow room in bed) or something else. Might be fun to get out your own drafting tools and draw the COMPLETE floor plan and see what you can improve when taking into account the whole package then go looking for the closest thing to that plan. One reason people find themselves moving on to LARGER RVs is to gain the space in places that don't have it in small units.
Good luck / skip
2004 F-250 SCREW Long Bed 20,000 towing miles (MANY REPAIRS)
OR 2004 F-150 HD 85,000 towing miles (No repairs) 2007 Rockwood 8314SS 34' travel trailer
We have enough YOUTH...how about a fountain of SMART
About the refrigerator - we don't really use the refrigerator because it is not that reliable. However, we do use the freezer portion to make ice and would use it more to hold meats or frozen dinners if the size were larger. So - need to increase the freezer size and reduce the refrig portion in my perfect world.
Dinettes are bothersome for another reason. They just don't look safe for traveling. RV makers need to become more conscious of how passengers might fare in a collusion. A dinette table in front of a passenger is more fearsome than the old auto steering wheels were in the 50s. Just think what a low speed crash into one of those tables would do for your body. So the soft solution is probably better because it is safer.
As with cars, and every other consumer product everyone has their own set of likes and dislikes. Shop around, find the one that suits you best, and go for it.
This is a feedback post for motorhome makers from a prospective customer of what we like to see in our RV purchases.
1. With space at a premium in Class Bs/Cs, let's lose the dinette. Those sofas that face each other with a foldable table are much more practical and make for nice comfortable twin beds to boot.
2. Find a way to have a normal size fridge/freezer. Those under the counter jobs don't cut the mustard, especially for those of us who microwave a frozen meal to save money on the unhealthy restaurant fare.
I hear yah. Here's our custom twin sofa/bed set-up.
We don't have have 'any' table and was concerned about it.
Found that what works great, in place of a table is serving size trays, like the ones used in fast-food restaurants.
Also note the large windows, was also concerned about them too, but it really makes riding in back much more enjoyable, everyone has a picture window view.
...and back in the corner is our basic Engle Fridge and Microwave setup.
* This post was
edited 10/30/09 04:59pm by McZippie *
hwybnb wrote: As with cars, and every other consumer product everyone has their own set of likes and dislikes. Shop around, find the one that suits you best, and go for it.
.... or if have time and not worried about resale value, get one custom built.
* This post was
edited 10/31/09 08:35am by McZippie *
magnusfide wrote: This is a feedback post for motorhome makers from a prospective customer of what we like to see in our RV purchases.
1. With space at a premium in Class Bs/Cs, let's lose the dinette. Those sofas that face each other with a foldable table are much more practical and make for nice comfortable twin beds to boot.
2. Find a way to have a normal size fridge/freezer. Those under the counter jobs don't cut the mustard, especially for those of us who microwave a frozen meal to save money on the unhealthy restaurant fare.
3. Wardrobe: Make a section for longer coats for cold weather and longer dresses for the wife.
4. So far the bathrooms are adequate. No problem there.
5. Make sure it has enough power to tow a Corolla or other small car for a dinghy.
Thanks for listening guys.
There are many motorhomes that have at least some, if not all, of these features.
1.)Though mine is not one, I have seen numerous models with the face to face "jackknife" sofas. Most of these have either a removable pedestal style table, several smaller pedestal style tables, or the newer folding dinette tables that slide up and down along the wall. As for me, the dinette system suits our needs as, with the dinette in the "flat" position, it allows for a large area upon which we can put our SCT telescope, in the case which is 37 x 21 x 18, and secure it with the seatbelts. In like manner, we can also strap the various components of our truss dobsonian telescope down on the same dinette.
This what the SCT case looks like...and the scope outside of the case (the one on the far left.) The big tripod, and mount, are transported in the storage under the sofa.
Even this telescope, an 18" Obsession Truss Dobsonian, fits on the folded dinette for transport.
So you understand, this is what it looks like disassembled for transport:
The area under the folded dinette is great for transporting the mount, power packs, and other accessories.
2.)I don't know what you mean by "under counter" refrigerator but I find our larger Dometic to be fully adequate. We also cook, freeze, and the reheat meals in the microwave.
3.) Both wardrobe sections, on each side of our bed, are long enough for full length coats and my DW's dresses, though she rarely takes them on the road. Sometimes my jazz band uses our rig as a lounge and dressing room when we're performing out-of-town, and the female keyboard player and vocalist often transport long dresses and gowns in the wardrobe.
4.) Of all the items noted by the OP, our bathroom (toilet and sink area) is the least adequate but it gets the job done. Our shower is more than ample.
5.) I don't know what you would consider to be "enough power"...but we tow a Ford Flex (4400 lbs), four down, with our V10 E-450 and it's more than adequate. No complaints in that regard.
While there is always something to complain about with most any rig, and not all of them do "everything right", there are enough options out there that you can usually find most of what you want. As others have noted, and if you are willing to wait for delivery, you can also get many options of your choice.
2005 31' Coachmen Freelander 3150SS, Stargazer II - Mobile Astronomy Unit Do you remember when the sky was dark, and the stars were bright? The International Dark-Sky Association American by birth...Scottish by the Grace Of God.
As far as the dinnette area is concerned, it would be VERY EASY to improve:
1. Make the seat and back sections of each very comfortable ... like a couch for comfort but of course just not as long. Most dinette seats/backs are not this way (comfortable) now.
2. Leave the table design so it can still go down flat between the seats and and seats/backs lay flat on it for the rare time you need an additional sleeping area. Must dinettes in RV's do this now.
3. Now for the good part that would make the dinette area SO MUCH more useful - have the table split in the middle and fold up against the window wall and held up with some kind of clip or strap arrangement. You would now have an area with too small opposing and comfortable (see 1. above) mini-couches for a lounge area. 1/2 of one, or both, dinette seats could even be designed so as to slide and tilt to form one or two recliners. You could even set up a portable recliner (La Fuma, etc.) the long way between the seats so at least one person could enjoy a full size lounge chair in small RVs. Small children could even play games on the carpeted floor area between the dinette seats when the table top temporarily folded up and held out of the way. I don't think any RV dinette area is designed this way now.
The dinette area would then be at least 5-way: Eating/table game area set up as a standard dinette. Additional bed. Small mini-lounge with the table folded out of the way. Additional carpeted floor space for small children, pets, etc. with the table folded out of the way. Additional room for temporary use of at least one full size lounge chair with the table folded out of the way.
You folks with large rigs probably could care less about this. But for us less-is-more folks, we could sure use the added flexibility
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